Hopes for a resolution in a school strike in Co Down mounted tonight after employers made a renewed offer to union representatives.

Hundreds of school students in Co Down have been sent home for a second day running due to a dispute over a pupil who allegedly assaulted a teacher.

Hundreds of pupils at a secondary school in Northern Ireland were sent home today after teachers went on strike as a dispute over a pupil who assaulted a teacher deepened.

Juveniles facing manslaughter charges are posing major safety risks by being allowed back into the classroom, it was claimed today.